Quarterly Newsletter – November 2016

“My feeling is, don’t just be a taker. It’s hospitality. We are givers.”

– Marcus Samuelsson, C-CAP Board Co-Chair, Celebrity Chef, Author, Restaurateur

In this season of giving thanks, we are constantly reminded of the many teachers and chef mentors who have given so much of themselves to support C-CAP and our students. We’re inspired by our teachers who spend countless hours preparing our students for a career in the culinary arts, and by the chefs who make time between creating exciting new dishes to pass their knowledge on to our students.

We are committed to giving our students, many of whom are our most vulnerable neighbors, the best futures possible. They are hard workers and demonstrate skill, passion and dedication. It is so rewarding to see the impact C-CAP has on their lives five, ten and twenty years down the line.

We hope you’ll join us to spread the word about C-CAP. We could not do it without you! 

On behalf of C-CAP, we extend holiday wishes and encourage you to give thanks to those who make a difference in your life.

All my best,
Richard Grausman
C-CAP Founder and Chairman Emeritus

 

For the season of giving (and of eating!), we rounded up a full menu of holiday recipes from some of our supporting chefs and C-CAP alumni. From Rick Bayless’ Tamales to Marcus Samuelsson’s Creamy Parsnip Soup with Pear and Walnuts, we’ve got your holiday menu covered!

Join these chefs and alumni to ensure that every C-CAP student around the nation has tools, skills and mentorship they need to make it in the culinary world.

 

Ferment-about-it
To bakers, sourdough starters are a thing to be revered, a key element in the quest for the perfect loaf. A mix of flour, liquid, and natural yeasts fermented together; a starter is the secret ingredient to a baker’s prize-winning loaves, or so they say!
One food scientist, Rob Dunn, is out to determine whether all the claims are true with his Sourdough Project. He and his colleagues hope to collect starters from home bakers across the country to analyze the microbial DNA to see if the difference is really in the water, or your hands or the fields in which the flour was grown. Who knows?! Read more about the project here and learn how you can submit your starter to be a part of this project. They knead you!

‘The Experience was Absolutely Amazing’

C-CAP Alums Krystal Lewis and Rafael (Alex) Perezchica have just returned from their all-expense paid five month stage at Restaurant Sant Pau in Spain! We will be partnering with Olésay again in 2017 to give two more lucky C-CAP alums the opportunity of a lifetime!
On Election Day, C-CAP held a Twitter Q&A with Presidential food historian, James Beard Award Winner, and former White House staffer Adrian Miller (@soulfoodscholar). Participants asked Adrian their questions using#POTUSeats.
For Amber Waves of Grain, Above the Fruited Plain
From sea to shining sea, C-CAP is very busy! Here’s a small glimpse into the world of the whisk!

Is that Susan Feniger taking a picture of Bobby Flay with a C-CAP student???

Yes… Yes it is…
In the City of Angels we’ve been fortunate enough to have some truly divine chefs teaching our eager young culinarians the ways of the business. C-CAPers raced to button up their new Chef Works jackets at events like the Brand Boulevard Block Party and the Breeder’s Cup.

Save the Date for C-CAP’s Annual Benefit

When: March 8, 2017 | 5:45pm VIP Admission, 6:30pm General Admission
Where: Pier Sixty, New York, NYFor all you delicious food lovers (meaning every one of you), we invite you to join us for a grand walk-around tasting event honoring acclaimed Chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern and Untitled. We will feature culinary creations prepared by over 40 of New York’s top chefs, assisted by C-CAP high school students and alumni.The benefit has become New York’s premiere tasting event and draws local residents, business leaders, and national organizations to support C-CAP. The evening’s festivities also include an auction with once-in-a-lifetime culinary and travel packages.

Under the Scottsdale Moon

3rd Annual Harvest Moon Feast, Scottsdale, AZ
On the evening of November 14th, hundreds of C-CAP supporters parked their cars and piled onto a festive train to the Desert Foothills Barn under a full moon for the 3rd Annual Harvest Moon Feast. Guests enjoyed a walk-around tasting event featuring sweet and savory small plates prepared by C-CAP high school students and teachers paired with 25 top local chefs. We want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who made this event possible!
We Fired Up Philadelphia! 
Ignite… Firing Up Tomorrow’s Chefs, Philadelphia, PA
On November 14th, the evening’s honoree, Chef Jose Garces, was joined by a team of top Philadelphia chefs for 2016 Ignite: Firing Up Tomorrow’s Chefs! Without the support of Philadelphia chefs, the dedication of our supporters and the tireless hard work from our students and alumni, this event would not have been possible! THANK YOU! 
A Foot in the Kitchen Door
Fall Job Shadow

Learning culinary skills in the classroom is essential to prepare students for a potential career in the industry, but there’s nothing like putting on chef whites and getting in the kitchen to explore whether or not it’s the right career path. C-CAP partners with many industry supporters who provide the opportunity to shadow professionals in corporate dining facilities around the country. The Compass Group and Restaurant Associates, with a huge range of host sites including the likes of the NBA Corporate Offices, give C-CAP in New York City students the inside look at life in the kitchen.

A Buttercream Ball?

Yes, Please!

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, the organization that donates product for every vanilla pastry created by our C-CAP students, put on a ‘Buttercream Ball’ in downtown Chicago. Our students created and served up desserts for the buttercream ball-ers!

We Are Growing!

While we are signing on new schools around the country, our programs in the Washington D.C. Region have been catching on like wild fire! We are thrilled to announce expansion into Arlington, VA, and hugely increased programming in the D.C. area!

Scoot Over, Maryland!

Hampton Roads, VA is challenging neighboring Maryland for the title as Blue Crab Capital of the U.S.! In a region that was Farm-to-Table before that was a thing, Virginia has been quietly celebrating all things crab for centuries! Read the blog

Tuxton, You’re the Best!

Tuxton China donated a portion of their proceeds from the month of September to support C-CAP’s programming in Los Angeles. We are thrilled to announce that they raised $9,200! Many thanks to Tuxton!

The Summit of Innovation

On October 28th-29th, C-CAP students were invited to attend the Restaurant Associates Innovation Summit in New York City. At the Summit, our students were encouraged to study and take advantage of the many opportunities that connect them to inspiring mentors and leaders in the industry.
C-CAP is a national non-profit that transforms lives of underserved high school students through the culinary arts.  
With programs in New York City, the Philadelphia, Los Angeles andWashington, D.C. regions, Arizona, Chicago and Hampton Roads, VA, C-CAP offers job training and internships, career exploration and advising, scholarships and cooking competitions, college advising, teacher training and product donations. Since its inception in 1990, C-CAP has awarded $50 million in scholarships through the largest independent culinary scholarship program in the U.S.For the fourth year in a row, C-CAP received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest evaluator of charities. Only the top ten percent of America’s charities receive such continued high ratings.

C-CAP Alums Malique, Angel and Oscar from New York and Los Angeles in their first few weeks at Monroe College.

 

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